# Party of the European Left

The Party of the European Left (PEL), or European Left (EL), is a European political party that operates as an association of democratic socialist and communist political parties in the European Union and other European countries. It was formed in January 2004 for the purposes of running in the 2004 European Parliament elections. The PEL was founded on 8–9 May 2004 in Rome. The elected MEPs from member parties of the PEL sit in The Left in the European Parliament – GUE/NGL group in the European Parliament, though not all PEL members are also members of GUE/NGL.
Several member and observer parties participate also in the more radical European Anti-Capitalist Left. Before the PEL was founded, most of its members already held annual meetings together, as part of the New European Left Forum (NELF). The current president is the Austrian politician Walter Baier.

## History

The Party of European Left (PEL) was formed on 8 and 9 May 2004 in Rome, Italy. The party's first congress took place on 8 October 2005 in Athens, and produced the Athens Declaration of the European Left. The second congress was held 23–25 November 2007 in Prague. The third congress was held on 2–5 December 2010 in Paris. Its fourth congress was held on 13–15 December 2013 in Madrid. Its fifth congress took place on 16–18 December 2016 in Berlin, and elected German lawyer and politician Gregor Gysi as the new PEL President. Heinz Bierbaum was elected president in 2019. He was succeeded by Walter Baier in December 2022.
It operates a think tank, Transform Europe, and it has women's wing named EL-Fem.
In 2024, the Danish member Red-Green Alliance (Enhedlisten) announced the schism of the party and the formation of a socially liberal (green- and pro-Ukraine leaning) European Left Alliance for the People and the Planet, in short ELA. The split follows the split of socially liberal Die Linke and socially conservative BSW in Germany, and the creation of a separate platform for the 2024 European elections, Now the People.

## Ideology

PEL has been described as a left-wing and a far-left political party. Its ideology is based on principles of democratic socialism, socialism, and communism. It is opposed to capitalism and consists of parties with wide range of opinions.$^{:46}$ PEL is also supportive of progressivism.$^{:50}$
It takes a soft Eurosceptic approach towards the European Union, and opposes militarization and foreign interventionism.$^{:53}$ PEL opposed the Iraq War and War in Afghanistan, and criticised the oppression of 2009 Iranian presidential election protests.$^{:53}$ It is also opposed to NATO and United States military bases.$^{:54}$ It supports Cuba, and a delegation visited the nation in February 2022.
In an interview with the political magazine Jacobin, Walter Baier, the president of PEL, described PEL as part of the "socialist left" and criticised the European Union, stating that it is neoliberal and "closer to enlightened absolutism than parliamentary democracy".

## Leadership

* President: Fausto Bertinotti (2004–2007), Lothar Bisky (2007–2010), Pierre Laurent (2010–2016), Gregor Gysi (2016–2019), Heinz Bierbaum (2019–2022), Walter Baier (2022–present)
* Leader in the European Parliament: Francis Wurtz (2004–2009), Lothar Bisky (2009–2012), Gabi Zimmer (2012–2019), Martin Schirdewan (2019–present)

## Membership

The Party of the European Left consists of member parties with full rights, observer parties, individual members and EL partners. As of October 2024, The Party of the European Left has 24 member parties in 21 countries. Not all members of PEL are members of The Left in the European Parliament – GUE/NGL group in the European Parliament.

### Full members

| Country | Country | Party | National MPs | MEPs |
| Austria | Austria | Communist Party of Austria | – | – |
| Belarus | Belarus | Belarusian Left Party "A Just World" | – | Not in the EU |
| Belgium | Belgium | Communists of Wallonia-Brussels | – | – |
| Bulgaria | Bulgaria | Bulgarian Left | – | – |
| Croatia | Croatia | Workers' Front | – | – |
| Czech Republic | Czech Republic | The Left | – | – |
| Estonia | Estonia | Estonian United Left Party | – | – |
| Finland | Finland | Communist Party of Finland | – | – |
| France | France | French Communist Party | 8 / 577(National Assembly) | – |
| France | France | French Communist Party | 14 / 348(Senate) | – |
| France | France | Republican and Socialist Left | 1 / 577(National Assembly) | – |
| France | France | Republican and Socialist Left | 0 / 348(Senate) | – |
| Germany | Germany | The Left | 28 / 736(Bundestag) | 2 / 96 |
| Germany | Germany | The Left | 4 / 69(Bundesrat) | 2 / 96 |
| Greece | Greece | New Left | 11 / 300 | – |
| Greece | Greece | Syriza | 26 / 300 | 4 / 21 |
| Hungary | Hungary | Workers' Party of Hungary 2006 – European Left | – | – |
| Italy | Italy | Communist Refoundation Party | – | – |
| Luxembourg | Luxembourg | The Left | 2 / 60 | 0 / 6 |
| Moldova | Moldova | Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova | 8 / 101 | Not in the EU |
| Romania | Romania | Romanian Socialist Party | – | – |
| Slovenia | Slovenia | The Left | 5 / 90 | 0 / 9 |
| Spain | | United Left | 5 / 350(Congress of Deputies) | 0 / 61 |
| Spain | | United Left | 0 / 266(Senate of Spain) | 0 / 61 |
| Spain | | Communist Party of Spain | 7 / 350(Congress of Deputies) | 0 / 61 |
| Spain | | Communist Party of Spain | 0 / 266(Senate of Spain) | 0 / 61 |
| Spain | Catalonia | United and Alternative Left | – | – |
| Switzerland | Switzerland | Swiss Party of Labour | – | Not in the EU |
| Turkey | Turkey | Left Party | – | Not in the EU |
| United Kingdom | United Kingdom | Left Unity | – | Not in the EU |

### Observer members

| Country | Country | Party | National MPs | European MEPs |
| Belgium | Belgium | Mouvement Demain [fr] | – | – |
| Cyprus | | Progressive Party of Working People | 15 / 56 | 1 / 6 |
| Cyprus | Northern Cyprus | New Cyprus Party | – | De facto not in the EU |
| Cyprus | Northern Cyprus | United Cyprus Party | – | De facto not in the EU |
| Czech Republic | Czech Republic | Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia | 0 / 200(Chamber of Deputies) | 1 / 21 |
| Czech Republic | Czech Republic | Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia | 0 / 81(Senate) | 1 / 21 |
| Italy | Italy | Italian Left | 4 / 400 | 2 / 76 |
| Italy | Italy | Italian Left | 3 / 200 | 2 / 76 |
| Slovakia | Slovakia | Communist Party of Slovakia | – | – |
| Spain | Spain | Sortu | 1 / 23(Congress of Deputies; Basque seats) | 1 / 61 |
| Spain | Spain | Sortu | 1 / 20(Senate of Spain; Basque seats) | 1 / 61 |
| United Kingdom | United Kingdom | Transform Party | – | Not in the EU |

### EL Partners

| Country | Country | Party | National MPs | European MEPs |
| Austria | Austria | Der Wandel | – | – |
| Austria | Austria | Left | – | – |
| France | France | Ensemble! | – | – |
| France | France | République et Socialisme | – | – |
| Germany | Germany | Marxistische Linke | – | – |
| Hungary | Hungary | Táncsics – Radical Left Party | – | – |
| Hungary | Hungary | Yes Solidarity for Hungary Movement | – | – |
| Serbia | Serbia | Solidarnost | – | Not in the EU |
| United Kingdom | Scotland | Democratic Left Scotland | – | Not in the EU |
| United Kingdom | Scotland | Socialists for the Independence | – | Not in the EU |

### Former members

| Country | Party | Notes |
| Belgium | Communist Party | Stopped working as a Party in 2009, since December 2013 not listed as a Member. |
| Belgium | Communist Party of Belgium | Resignation decided at the party congress on 30 July 2018. |
| Czech Republic | Party of Democratic Socialism | Merged into The Left in 2020. |
| Denmark | Red–Green Alliance | Left the EL in 2024. |
| Finland | Left Alliance | Delisted from the EL website in 2024. |
| France | Left Party | Left the EL on 1 July 2018. |
| France | Unitary Left | Merged with the French Communist Party in Fall 2015. |
| France | La France Insoumise | Member until 2018, observer until 2024 |
| Germany | German Communist Party | Ended its observer status on 27 February 2016. |
| Greece | Renewing Communist Ecological Left | Merged into Syriza in 2013. |
| Hungary | Hungarian Workers' Party | Quit 1 May 2009. |
| Italy | Party of Italian Communists | Dissolved in December 2014, which meant that the "observer status" was lost. |
| Italy | The Other Europe | Dissolved in 2019, which meant that the "observer status" was lost. |
| Poland | Young Socialists | Dissolved in 2015, which meant that the "observer status" was lost. |
| Portugal | Left Bloc | Quit 22 June 2024. |

## Representation in European institutions

| Organisation | Institution | Number of seats |
| European Union | European Parliament | 16 / 720 (2%) |
| European Union | European Commission | 0 / 27 (0%) |
| European Union | European Council (Heads of Government) | 0 / 27 (0%) |
| European Union | Council of the European Union (Participation in Government) | 2 / 27 (7%) |
| European Union | Committee of the Regions | 0 / 329 (0%) |
| Council of Europe | Parliamentary Assembly | 34 / 612 (6%) (UEL) |